Aqua jet propulsion device



July 2, 1957 B. HAASE ET A1. 2,797,659

AQUA JET PEOPULSION DEVICE Filed March 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i [I J0W o Z6 23 W00 dro w I/l/. Ja/i/ INVENTORJ BY fw@ /fmf ATTORNEY July 2,1957 B. HAASE ET AL 2,797,659

AQUA JET PROPULSION DEVICE Filed March 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Woof/rowW Jza/ INVENTORS BY @w /4 7' TOR/VE V United States Patent AQUA JETPROPULSION DEVICE Bartholomew Haase, Willis N. McWhorter, Ralph G. Dale,and Woodrow W. Stahl, Houston, Tex.

Application March 4, 1954, Serial No. 414,216

4 Claims. (Cl. 11S-14) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in an aqua-jet propulsion device.

lt is an object of this invention to provide a motor for use on jetmarine engines that will provide an auxiliary power to the propulsionstream.

It is another object of this invention to provide a motor for use inmarine engines that provides novel steering means.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a jet operatedmarine engine having novel means for reversing the direction ofpropulsion of the craft.

ln the present type of jet propulsion marine motors, it is necessary tostop the motor, or pump, when it is desired to discontinue thepropulsion. It is another object of this invention to provide means forneutralizing the propulsion action without stopping the motors or pump.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has moreparticular relation to certain novel features of construction andoperation as defined in the following specifications and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an elevational, cross sectional view of the device, attachedto a vessel.

Figure 2 is an end view, in cross section, taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1, and

Figure 3 is an end view of the compressing means taken on the line 3-3of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designatesthe hull of a vessel, to which the fixed housing 2 is secured, as by thebolts 3, 3. The driving shaft 3 is vertically mounted in the housing 2and is in operative connection with a gear box 4, which is rotated bythe shaft 5. A suitable source of power (not shown) rotates the shaft 5.

An inner housing 6 is mounted inside of the housing 2, and is rotatabletherein, the bearings, as 7, providing means for easy rotation thereof.A ring gear 8 is mounted on the outer surface of the inner housing 6which is in geared relation with the worm gear 9 which is in turnrotated by suitable steering gear as 10.

The housing 6 is enlarged forming the cylinders 11, 11 in which suitablepistons as 12, 12 are mounted. Connecting rods, as 13, 13 connect saidpistons 12, 12 to the loosely mounted rings 14, 14 which are mounted onthe eccentric cam 15. The cam 15 is mounted on the shaft 3 and rotatedthereby. Suitable packing means 16, 16 and bearings 17, 17 are mountedon the shaft 3 and maintained in place by the collars 18, 18.

An impeller 19 is mounted in the housing 6 in the impellet' chamber 20.A storage chamber 21, formed in the housing 6 between the impellerchamber 20 and the cylinders 11, 11, is provided to receive fluid underpressure. An induction chamber 22 is located in the lower end of thehousing 6 and is mounted in the port 23 in the hull 1. An eductionchamber 24 leads from the impeller chamber 20 into the discharge nozzles25, 26.

Mounted on the lower end of the shaft 3 is a booster ICC impeller 27.Extending axially through the shaft 3 is a valve control shaft 28 whichis pivotally secured at the upper end to the control lever 29 and at thelower end to the rocking arm 30. The rocking arm 30 is connected to andcontrols the shuttle valve 31 which is mounted in the eduction chamber24 and which may be moved to block the flow of eduction through eitherof the discharge nozzles 25, 26.

Suitable valves as 32, 33 and 34 are provided to supply air into thecylinders 11, the storage chamber 21 and eduction chamber 24.

The shaft 5 drives the drive shaft 3, which in turn rotates the cam 15and the cam reciprocates the pistons 12, 12 which draw air into thecylinders 11, 11, through the valves 32, 32, and upon movement of thepistons in one direction, admit the air into the storage chamber throughthe valves 33, 33, and the storage chamber 21, which may be of anydesired capacity, retains the compressed air until a predeterminedpressure has been reached, whereupon the valve 34 admits impulses of airinto the induction chamber 24. A suitable shield, as 35, is provided inthe induction chamber 24 which extends from the bottom of the chamber 21through the chamber 20 and into the chamber 24 forming a conduit toguide the flow of air past the impeller chamber 20 and into the chamber24.

As the shaft 3 rotates, the water is drawn in through the inductionchamber 22, by the impeller 19 and booster impeller 27, and isdischarged by the impeller 19 through the eduction chamber 24 in a jet,assisted by air impulses from the storage chamber 9.1. The direction ofdischarge is determined by the shuttle 31. When it is desired to travelin one direction, the lever 29 is moved by the operator of the vessel toblock the flow of water through either one of the discharge nozzles 25,26, which will be longitudinally extended beneath the vessel. When it isdesired to neutralize the movement of the boat, the shuttle may be movedto neutral position, as shown in Figure 1, thus directing a divided flowthrough both discharge nozzles 25, 26. The boat will be steered bymanipulation of the steering gear 1 0, which will rotate the innerhousing 6, carrying with it the discharge nozzles 25, 26.

If desired, a projection 37 may be provided on the bottom of the shuttle31 which will automatically reverse the direction of flow of eductionwhen contacted by any solid matter. For instance, if the vessel runsaground, the projection 37 extending beneath the bottom of the hull willbe contacted first and will move the shuttle 31 into reverse positionfrom the direction of travel of the vessel, thus reversing the thrust ofeduction and preventing or minimizing the actual grounding of thevessel.

As may be seen by the drawings, the induction chamber 22 is formed bycasting a separate piece from the rest of the inner housing 6, but whichis bolted to, and thus forms an integral part of the rest of the innerhousing, as indicated by the bolts 36, 36. This is a preferable way offorming the inner housing in order that access may be provided to theworking parts of the device.

While the foregoing is considered a preferred form of the invention, itis by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the inventionbeing dened by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. In a motor for aqua jet propulsion, an outer housing, an innerhousing within said outer housing, means for rotating said innerhousing, a drive shaft through said outer and inner housings, means forcompressing air within said inner housing and means for drawing waterinto said inner housing, means for ejecting said water and air underpressure from said inner housing, eduction nozzles integral with saidinner housing through which said water and air are ejected, a shuttlepivotally mounted in said eduction nozzles and means axially mounted insaid drive shaft for selectively moving said shuttle transverse in saideduction nozzles to direct the ow of fluid therethrough.

2. ln an aqua jet propulsion device, an outer housing adapted to bemounted on the bottom of a vessel, an inner housing rotatably mounted inthe said outer housing, a vertical drive shaft extending through saidhousing and adapted to be rotated by a suitable source of power, animpeller mounted on said drive shaft, an induction charnber beneath saidimpeller, a booster impeller mounted on said drive shaft within saidinduction chamber, an eccentric cam mounted on said drive shaft,compression chambers within said housing, pistons reciprocably mountedin said compression chambers, connecting rods secured to said pistonsand said eccentric cam, an eduction chamber, control means for directinga predetermined pressure of Huid into said eduction chamber from saidcompression chambers and from said impeller into said eduction chamber.

3. ln an aqua jet propulsion device, an inner and outer housing, meansfor rotating the inner housing within the outer housing to control thedirection of jet propulsion, u vertical drive shaft through said innerhousing, means on said drive shaft for drawing water into said innerhousing and expelling it from said inner housing under pressure, aneduction chamber through which said expelled fluid is discharged, thedischarge end of said charnber being divided and extended in oppositedirections, a shuttle in said eduction chamber transversely movabletherein to direct the flow of fluid through one of said extensions, anda bell crank pivotally mounted in said eduction chamber having one endpivotally secured to said shuttle and the other end secured to a controlrod,

4 said control rod extending through said drive shaft and beingpivotally secured to a control lever.

4. In an aqua jet propulsion device for use on boats, an inner and anouter housing anchored to the hull of a boat, a drive shaft extendingvertically through said inner housing and an inlet port through the hullof said boat adjacent the lower end of said drive shaft, an inductionchamber in said inner housing, an impeller mounted on said drive shaftand extending into said induction chamber, a propeller on said driveshaft beneath said impeller for boosting water to be inducted into saidinduction chamber, an eduction conduit leading from said inductionchamber and terminating beneath said port in said hull of said boat,said eduction conduit having its terminus divided into forwardly andrearwardly directed outlets, a shuttle transversely movable in saideduction conduit to control the direction of flow of fluid through saidoutlets, said shuttle having a downwardly extending projection adaptedto move said shuttle to reverse the flow of discharge upon contactingbottom.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS146,266 Morton Ian. 6, 1874 1,747,817 Choquette Feb. 18, 1930$12,149,155 Anderson Feb. 28, 1939 742,243,800 Goodyear May 27, 1941`,12,255,852 Lundin Sept. 16, 1941 2,528,354 Flanagan Oct. 31, 1950\`,2,655,891` Gorski Oct. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 126,425 Great BritainMay 12, 1919 183,434 Great Britain June 7, 1923 503,593 Great BritainApr. 11, 1939

